Delta variant threatens Asean-5 recovery

IN the first half of 2021, Asean-5 countries, comprising Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines experienced strong, export-driven growth. However, renewed lockdowns amid significant outbreaks of Covid-19 Delta variant cases have dampened business sentiment and consumer spending in this region.

According to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), recovery will likely slow markedly in the second half of 2021 for Asean5.

“Given the rising number of Covid-19 infections, renewed pandemic containment measures, and the slow pace of vaccinations, authorities in Asean-5 countries have been revising down official growth forecasts,” IIF said.

The IIF said it would likely cut its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for region.

In May, it forecast a GDP growth of 5.2% for 2021 and 5.4% for 2022.

Against the backdrop of current economic challenges, the IIF said it expected Asean-5 central banks to maintain their accommodative monetary policy stances well into 2022.

“Most of the countries are still experiencing inflation within the respective target ranges, except for the Philippines,” the IIF said.

“Fiscal policy will also continue to be supportive. While Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam have announced fiscal consolidation plans, the pace of adjustment will be modest,” it added.

The IIF noted that due to their economic structure, Asean-5 countries benefitted strongly from the global demand recovery, with exports up sharply in the first half of 2021, particularly in the area of electronic appliances (Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand) and commodities (Indonesia and Vietnam).

“Looking ahead, the next stage of the global recovery will likely benefit services rather than goods and, thus, provide less of a boost to Asean-5 economies,” it said.

“Furthermore, the recovery in tourism in the five countries has been slower than our already-cautious forecast in the spring, with the Delta variant posing a new challenge to the sector,” it added

 

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RM30bil more cash aid to be distributed

 Govt is also working on additional assistance under National Recovery Plan

PETALING JAYA: The government has close to RM30bil left to be distributed to the rakyat and businesses in the form of cash aid and indirect assistance.

The amount represents about 63.5% of the government’s initial allocation of RM46.3bil for the entire year of 2021.

These are not inclusive of the additional assistance measures that will be announced in due course to mitigate the impact of the upcoming Phases 2, 3 and 4 of the lockdown.

Speaking at a virtual briefing yesterday, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz (pic) said out of the RM16.7bil cash aid allocated for 2021, about RM8.1bil would be channelled to affected households and individuals between June and December.


This will be in the form of Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (RM4.5bil), Bantuan Kebajikan Masyarakat (RM1.25bil), Jaringan Prihatin (RM1.75bil), eBelia e-wallet credit programme (RM80mil) and assistance for taxi and e-hailing drivers as well as tour guides (RM70.7mil).

Meanwhile, about RM9.8bil in financial aid will be distributed to businesses between June and December.

Earlier, the government had allocated RM14.1bil in cash assistance for this group.

The remaining cash aid for businesses are wage subsidy and hiring incentive programme (RM6.29bil), Prihatin Special Grant (RM1.5bil), microcredit financing facility (RM1bil), electricity bill discount for six sectors (RM344.7mil) and SME Digitalisation Grant (RM14.3mil).

In addition to such assistance, the government will also provide indirect help to four sectors, namely, consumers, education, transportation and agriculture. These include subsidies for petrol, flour, cooking oil and toll, among others.

Out of the RM15.5bil allocated for 2021, about RM4bil has been spent in the first five months of the year, leaving RM11.5bil for the next seven months.

In comparison, the government has only spent RM9bil for such assistance last year.

Despite the government’s limited fiscal space amid astronomical spending incurred since last year to prop up the flailing economy, Tengku Zafrul said the government remain committed to helping households and businesses that were affected by the lockdown.

“In terms of assistance, the government has already announced the Pemerkasa+ package to complement the earlier stimulus packages of Permai and Pemerkasa, as well as Budget 2021.

“In this context, Pemerkasa+ is an additional assistance for the Phase 1 of the lockdown, which is now in place.

“Currently, the government is working on additional assistance according to the needs of each phase under the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

“This will be announced in the near future,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul pointed out that the transition to each subsequent phase of the lockdown would only be done once the criteria mentioned in the NRP were met.

He added that the government does not intend to reopen the economy “too much, too soon”.

Nevertheless, Tengku Zafrul acknowledged that the government could not afford a full movement control order for too long.

“Neither can our rakyat, particularly in terms of loss of income, loss of jobs and ultimately their ability to put food on the table.

“It is estimated that the economy loses RM1bil a day in Phase 1 of the lockdown,” he said.

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Lame Indian media and politicians resort to ‘lab leak’ lie to shift focus

India is at a critical moment of fighting the virus. Yet some Indian media outlets and politicians are still manipulating politics, slandering China with an attempt to shift contradictions away from their failed policies. India has descended into a COVID-19 mess. Indian media and politicians should bear a large part of the blame. It's a tragedy for the Indian people.

In recent days, some news channels in India have been busy spreading the groundless conspiracy theories that "the coronavirus is a bio-weapon created in a Wuhan lab." As the new wave of COVID-19 wreaks havoc on India, they have hyped up conspiracy theories and old lies cooked up by some Western media and politicians last year, baselessly accusing China of "weaponizing the virus." Some Indian media's professionalism, cognition and sense of social responsibility are really jaw-dropping.

With India caught up in the crisis and as criticisms of the Indian government's response increase, the "lab leak" conspiracy theory has attracted some new attention in India, ranging from news channels to politicians. Earlier this month, some Indian ministers and BJP leaders shared an article on Twitter. The article warned Indians not to fall into the opposition's trap of making Prime Minister Narendra Modi the scapegoat. It said, "very few are talking about China and the possibility that the virus has been unleashed to weaken India."

The "lab leak" theory has been largely discarded by the world. A World Health Organization report in late March concluded that it's "extremely unlikely" that the virus was leaked from a lab. It's really ridiculous and clumsy for some Indian media outlets to flog a dead horse. And it's easy to figure out their real purpose.

Long Xingchun, a senior research fellow with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and president of the Chengdu Institute of World Affairs, said the purpose of hyping the "lab leak" theory is obvious: deflecting public attention. With no sign of abating, the raging epidemic in India has aggravated public dissatisfaction.

By hyping-up the "lab leak" theory, some Indian media outlets and politicians are attempting to divert the public's anger to China. "For countries with an electoral system like India, the top consideration for some politicians is not people's health and lives, but votes. Accusing China of unleashing the virus to weaken India provides a good excuse for India to defend its anti-epidemic response and economic downturn," Long said.

China has refuted the lies of the "lab leak" theory many times. China has strictly fulfilled its obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention and does not develop, research or produce bio-weapons.

If the Indian media and politicians are really keen on figuring out whether the virus is a bio-weapon, they should ask Washington to clarify the US' biological militarization activities inside and outside the country and to disclose the real purpose of its more than 200 biological laboratories overseas. India could also demand an international inquiry.

It looks like some Indian media outlets and politicians are resorting to the old scheme of the former Trump administration, which tried every possible means to shift the blame onto China for its failed coronavirus response.

Just have a look at the results of Trump and his failed secretary of state Mike Pompeo. They didn't focus on fighting the epidemic, but instead played tricks to politicize the virus, concocting political manipulations to discredit China. As a result, the US witnessed the highest COVID-19 death toll. This became the main reason why Trump lost the election.

Since the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak hit India, China has expressed its goodwill and taken concrete actions to provide necessary support and help to India. China has sent life-saving supplies such as ventilators, oxygen generators, masks and medicines to India. This has shown China's goodwill and humanitarianism.

However, some Indian media outlets and politicians are requiting kindness with ingratitude. They have slandered China's help, tried to play the Taiwan card, attempted to sow discord between China and neighboring countries, and devilishly spread rumors and lies to discredit China. They are shameless and have no moral bottom. What they are now doing is no different from creating a humanitarian disaster in India. It's the Indian people that will have to bear this egregious suffering.

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The Selangor state-sponsored mass Covid-19 screening found that a majority of those between the ages of 20 and 40 who tested positive were asymptomatic.

The screening was carried out by Selcare, which is the administrator of the state government’s healthcare programme, Skim Peduli Sihat.

Selcare manager Mohd Noor Md Nasir said almost 80% of positive individuals in this age group appeared healthy and showed no signs of being infected.

“These people had been moving around freely before screening, ’’ Mohd Noor said, adding that there was a small number of Covid-19-positive senior citizens who had no symptoms despite having conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

“This is worrisome as these people had been in contact with many others as there was no indication they were infected, ’’ he said.Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari had announced that screening would be carried out in all 56 state assembly constituencies.Selangor has allocated RM6mil for the targeted screening of some 50,000 Selangor residents from May 8-28.

Meanwhile, Selangor Task Force for Covid-19 chairman Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the findings of Selcare’s screening was more reason for the Health Ministry to initiate public screening exercises.

“Imagine all these people would have been roaming around infecting others because there was no indication they were Covid-19-positive, ’’ he said when contacted.

He said this was the grim reality on the ground which Federal authorities must look into seriously.

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The world hijacked by Washington’s selfishness, Should India thank US' belated aid?

 llustration: Chen Xia/GT 

 Video https://www.globaltimes.cn/video/#.YIbAJJ1_i1s.twitter

 

Bagaimana Tsunami Covid Di India Boleh Berlaku

 

  China and India should put their differences aside and join forces in fighting pandemic

 

 Now the whole world is talking about how selfish the US is regarding COVID-19 vaccines. The most developed country in the world that talks about human rights the most refuses to export vaccines to other countries that are severely hit by the pandemic. Washington is determined to let its citizens get vaccinated first before it shares vaccines with others.

More than a quarter of Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus now, while about 40 percent of people in the US have received at least one shot. Not everyone wants to get vaccinated, so it is predicted that there will be a surplus of vaccines in the country after mid-May. At the same time, many developing countries are suffering vaccine shortage. In Namibia, an African country with a population of 2.5 million, only 128 people have received two doses of a vaccine until now.

The ugly "America First" doctrine on vaccines was fully revealed by the coronavirus outbreak in India. A humanitarian disaster has developed in the country. However, India's call for Washington to ease curbs on the export of vaccine raw materials was rejected. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday that the priority of the country is "ensuring the distribution of a safe and effective vaccine to millions of Americans, to all Americans who are able to take advantage of it." Washington also turned down calls from India, South Africa and others to waive patents on COVID-19 vaccines.

To date, the US has made almost no actual contribution to the global fight against the pandemic. As the most developed country in the world, it did a poor job in the epidemic fight, failing to contribute any positive experiences to other countries. The country imported a huge amount of supplies such as masks and ventilators that were in short supply in the world last year. Washington undermined global cooperation against the virus by attacking the World Health Organization for quite a long time. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is Washington's most important product to fight against the pandemic. But until now it has been used primarily to protect Americans and a limited number of US allies.

"America First" is a very crude principle. It has become a practical guide to bipartisan actions in the US. The former administration of Donald Trump had both said and acted according to this principle. Although the Biden administration hasn't talked about it, it is in fact also acting in line with the principle.

Transmitted to the political center through each American constituency, the US' selfishness has formed a kind of "rightfulness" under American democracy. Meanwhile, Washington is keen to promote its idea of "human rights" to the world. It acts like it has compassion for all humanity, and surprisingly, it does not feel awkward about it at all.

The world cannot allow the US to abuse the right to define international justice. Washington has refused to share vaccines with developing countries proportionally. The world should jointly condemn it, making Washington bend its head, like a rat scurrying across the street with everybody chasing it. However, till today, the US is still arrogantly claiming it is a global moral leader. It even accuses China and Russia's efforts to share vaccines of being "vaccine diplomacy." The US has totally called white black and black white.

The US has misled and hijacked various countries' national security concept. This is where its arrogance comes from. The world is in an era of peaceful development, but US elites have successfully fanned many countries' anxieties over geosecurity, as the US is the one who has the most abundant resources to play the geopolitical game. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest security shock that countries have encountered in recent years, but many countries have deeply fallen into the geopolitical myth and been hijacked by Washington. Therefore, they indulged Washington's misdeeds.

India in fact has become a victim of the US tricks. India already had an economic slump before the outbreak of the pandemic. India's relations with China have been manipulated by the US so severely that even its vaccine assistance provided to other countries took China as a target. However, now India has suddenly become the epicenter of the global pandemic. It is caught in a predicament where it is unable to deal with the situation by itself, receives no support from the US, while it is too embarrassed to accept China's help.

In short, the US has caused harm to the whole world in recent years. Despite being a self-proclaimed world leader, it failed to act as a responsible power in terms of economy, security and the anti-pandemic fight. However, Washington has managed to keep the "moral high ground" and issue orders. It is fair to say that it is the world, including countries like India, that has indulged it. We are suffering a tragedy caused by ourselves.

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 Should India thank US' belated aid?

 

Multiple funeral pyres of COVID-19 victims burn at a site converted for mass cremations in New Delhi, India on Saturday. Indian authorities are scrambling to get medical oxygen to hospitals when the country reported a new global daily record of more than 346,000 infections for a third straight day. Photo: AP

Under great pressure from international public opinion, US President Joe Biden said on Monday the US is determined to "help" India. It's reported that more than 300 oxygen concentrators have been dispatched from New York on Sunday morning and are supposed to arrive in New Delhi on Monday. This was in sharp contrast with the US' negative attitude toward assisting India until last week. 

US allies including the UK, France, and Germany also announced to offer assistance to India on Sunday, which left people with an impression that Washington has coordinated with them. 

Many Indians are complaining that the US aid comes way too late and is more of symbolic significance. Several hundred oxygen concentrators are inadequate for India. What the country needs now are tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. The US will immediately deploy supplies and other assistance, including raw materials for COVID-19 vaccine, to India, the White House said, following a Sunday call between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. But the US will still have reservations over the quantity of material exports, and the implementation process will face challenges.   

Biden's approval rating stands at only 52 percent after almost 100 days in office, the third-lowest since tracking began in 1945, following Donald Trump and Gerald Ford. Biden is facing enormous pressure from the Republicans and some Democrats. "America First" has been deeply embedded into the values of the US and has become a red line that Biden dares not touch. 

There are two reasons for the US' strategic selfishness. First, this is the inherent nature of the US system, which is prone to amplify individual selfishness rather than restrain and counterbalance such selfishness. Second, the US has become relatively weak, and it cannot meet its "leadership role." India is a country with an enormous population. In the long run, it will cost US much more to "lead" India than any of its other allies.   

One unhealthy aspect of the global anti-pandemic fight is that science and humanitarian logic have failed to truly dominate the fight on the international stage. Geopolitical thinking has never been away from the fight. It has disrupted the pandemic fight from time to time, and even managed to play a dominating role at some moments. India has been struggling in a critical situation, but geopolitical clues are still evident in its epidemic-related information. This is regrettable. COVID-19 patients are dying in batches, but some people are still debating which country's assistance India should take and what it would mean for international relations in future. 

Whatever happens, we hope India could curb its epidemic as soon as possible. Mankind is a community with a shared future when it comes to the fight against the pandemic. As India is a large country¸ the raging epidemic in India inevitably means increasing risks for other countries and regions. How India can realize a soft landing with a lower death toll will offer useful experience for other developing countries.  

The new coronavirus variant detected in India seems to be able to ferociously spread with the approach of summer, which requires higher international vigilance. India's tsunami-like COVID-19 wave warns us that fighting the coronavirus pandemic is a long-term "world war" and many unexpected new battlefields and new battles may await us. We can never let our guard down.

Countries with a strong capability to resist COVID-19 have to assume greater responsibility. It is vital that the US joins them. The US has made little positive contribution to the global fight against the pandemic. Lending a helping hand to India can be seen as the first US attempt to play such a role. We hope it will be Washington's turning point. The US has gravely dragged the global fight against the pandemic, and it is supposed to proactively make up for it.

Since last year, the novel coronavirus pandemic has hit many countries and regions in the world, resulting in unbelievable deaths and economic losses. But some countries are still building their national security in traditional ways. This is a strategic mistake, at least to some extent. Washington has played a misleading role in this regard. In other words, if the US is drunk, many other countries may not be able to remain sober.

 

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The reopening of schools, childcare centres and institutes of higher learning during MCO 2.0, CMCO, RMCO

 

YOU HAVE THE QUESTIONS, WE HAVE THE ANSWERS

BELOW are some questions and answers relating to schools and institutions under the Education Ministry as well as the status of public examinations during the movement control order period.

School reopening 

 Q: Are all students in areas under the movement control order required to return to school when it reopens on Jan 20?

A: Only students sitting for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM), Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM), Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) and Diploma Vokasional Malaysia (DVM) 2020 and 2021 students, as well as the equivalent international exams, will be allowed to return to school to undergo the Implementation of Teaching and Learning (PdP) via face-to-face.

Non-examination students will undergo Home-based learning (PdPR).

Q: Will students having to undergo public examinations but living outside MCO areas be allowed to return to schools that are under MCO areas or vice-versa?

A: Yes. Special authorisation letters will be issued by the school management to allow students to cross districts or states to attend school.

Q: Are parents/guardians allowed to send their children or children under their care to school?

A: Yes.

Q: Are students in remove class who have appealed to sit for the Bahasa Melayu Literacy Screening (Pengesahan Literasi Bahasa Melayu) allowed to be in school?

A: Yes. Students can attend school to sit for the Bahasa Melayu Literacy Screening on Jan 21,2021. For students unable to attend, they can take the test on Feb 3,2021.

Central Assessment Schedule (Pengurusan Pentaksiran Pusat) and public exams

Q: Will the central assessment schedule and SPM/ SVM/ SKM/ STPM/ STAM/ DVM as well as equivalent international examinations proceed?

A: Yes.

Q: Will the postponed SPM trial 2020 be conducted?

A: Yes. The examination will proceed once school re-opens for face-to-face lessons.

Boarding School Enrolment

Q: When will students sitting for the SPM/ SVM/ SKM/ STPM/ STAM/ DVM exams be allowed to return to boarding schools?

A: Beginning Jan 16.

Q: Are parents/guardians allowed to visit students living in boarding schools that are under the MCO?

A: No.

Q: Will students be allowed to go for outings and overnight events?

A: No.

Teaching and Learning (PdP)

Q: How will PdP be implemented for students aside from those sitting for examination classes?

A: Students must undergo home-based learning (PdPR) based on the suitability and the preparedness of teachers and students. Teachers can refer to the PdPR manual which can be downloaded from the Education Ministry portal www.moe.gov.my

Q: How can Year 1 pupils for the 2021 academic session access the Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia (Delima) platform as part of the PdPR?

A: Pupils can access the Delima portal using their user ID and password given by the school.

Q: How can students access the TV Pendidikan educational programme schedule? A The schedule of TV Pendidikan can be accessed via the Education Ministry’s official portal and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter @KemPendidikan.

Sports and co-curricular activities

Q: Will face-to-face sports and co-curricular activities be allowed?

A: No. However, virtual activities are allowed until the latest announcement from the Education Ministry.

Q: Will sports activities for PdP of the Physical Education subject and Health Education (Pendidikan Jasmani and Pendidikan Kesihatan) outside of the classroom be allowed?

A: No

Management of the textbook loan scheme (SPBT) 

Q: Are the Form 5 2020 students required to return their textbooks?

A: Only after they complete their SPM examinations.

Q: Will the Form 5 2020 students be using the same textbooks used by the Form 5 2021 students?

A: No. Students will be provided with the Form 5 Secondary School Standards-based Curriculum (KSSM) textbooks for use in 2021.

Q: When will other students aside from the Form 5 2020 need to return their textbooks and collect their new textbooks?

A: Return and distribution of textbooks will be implemented based on the return schedule in stages set by the school management once school re-opens.

Q: How can students obtain digital textbooks?

A: Students can download digital textbooks from the Delima platforms at moe-dl.edu.my or teachers can help download the digital textbooks, print and distribute them based on the required topics only.

School admission assessment (PKSK)

Q: Will PKSK be implemented during the MCO period?

A: Yes. The new PKSK dates for students entering Form One are Jan 20 to 29. For Form Four students, Feb 15 to 25.

Special authorisation letters will be issued by the Education Ministry to allow candidates to cross states or districts to attend the assessment centres.

Q: What are the necessary steps that need to be taken before a candidate sits for PKSK?

A: All candidates must bring a slip to sit for the PKSK and the special authorisation letter to attend PKSK that can be downloaded below:

i. spskt1.moe.gov.my (Form 1)

ii. spskt4.moe.gov.my (Form 4)

Q: Will candidates with any medical symptoms be allowed to undergo PKSK?

A: No. Parents/ guardians will need to get confirmation from certified medical officers and inform the head of the assessment centre (Ketua Pusat Pentaksiran).

A new date for students to sit for the PKSK will be set later.

Q: Are candidates under quarantine allowed to sit for PKSK?

A: No. Students are only allowed to sit for PKSK after the end of their quarantine period. A new date for the students will be set later.

Q: Are candidates who test positive for Covid-19 and treated in hospital allowed to sit for PKSK?

A: No. However, they will be allowed to do so once they are discharged from the hospital. A new date to sit for the PKSK will be announced later.

Q: Are candidates living in MCO areas allowed to change their PKSK centre?

A: Yes. Candidates need to submit an application to the head of assessment centre (Ketua Pusat Pentaksiran) that they are applying to.

Teachers and non-education services member (anggota perkhidmatan bukan guru)

Q: When are teachers required to be at the station of duty?

A: Teachers are required to be at the station of duty before Jan 20.

Q: Are teachers required to be present at schools placed under the MCO?

A: Teachers’ attendance at schools are required as below:

i. Teachers involved in the SPM/ SVM/ SKM/ STPM/ STAM/ DVM for the year 2020 and 2021 as well as equivalent international exams.

ii. Teachers involved in examination management.

iii. Other teachers that are ordered to be present by the head of departments.

Q: Are teachers living outside of MCO areas allowed to be present at schools that are currently under MCO or vice versa?

A: Yes. Teachers are required to obtain a special authorisation letter from the head of department.

Q: Aside from teachers, who else is allowed to be present at school during the MCO?

A: i. Non-education services members (Anggota Perkhidmatan Bukan Guru) with orders from the head of department.

ii. Essential services workers such as cleaners, security personnel, and canteen staff.

iii. Wardens and boarding school administrators.

Q: Will non-education services members be allowed to work from home?

A: Yes. The head of department can consider the request to work from home made by non-education service members according to their workload and the need to be physically at the office.

Management and operations of private education institutions (IPS)

Q: Are childcare centres allowed to operate face-to-face?

A: Yes. This includes international and expatriate preschool classes.

Q: Are all categories of IPS in MCO areas allowed to have face-to-face learning?

A: No. Only classes with students that are sitting for the SPM/ SVM/ SKM/ STPM/ STAM/ DVM for 2020 and 2021 as well as equivalent international exams will be allowed to operate face-to-face.

Q: Are all IPS categories centres such as tuition/ language centres allowed to operate face-to-face learning?

A: No.

Q: Does an IPS that has been allowed to operate face-to-face learning require a special authorisation letter in order to allow students/ teacher/ staff to be present?

A: Yes.

Management and operations of Pusat Anak Genius Negara (PAGN) and Pusat Genius Kurnia (PGK)

Q: Will PAGN and PGK under the MCO areas remain in operation?

A: Yes. However, this is subject to the quota allowed; priority will be given to parents/ guardians who are both working.

Q: Can parents/ guardians send their children or children under their care for half a day to a PAGN?

A: Yes. However, parents/ guardians must inform the teachers earlier so that activities and routines for children or children under their care can be planned smoothly.

Source: Education Ministry

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